June 19, 2017

Image credit: JORGE FIGUEROA

Harry Potter is overdone, The Hunger Games is a dangerous choice in case everyone start fighting to the death, and you can’t guarantee that your guests will have read any of your favourite books. So which books can you use for inspiration for a themed party, if you’re of the literary persuasion? Fear no more, for I have the answers. And if you don’t find inspiration within these pages, it’s a great excuse to go and find another book to read in hope that it might give you an idea.

Romeo and Juliet – masquerade ball

Now, Romeo and Juliet in itself is a dangerous theme by itself – the risk of underage love and multiple suicides is too great. However, you could take inspiration from the masked ball, and hold your own masquerade. This could be particularly good if you have watched the lurid Baz Luhrmann film adaptation of the iconic play, since Claire Danes’ outfit is iconic. Plus, it can appeal to the less literary of your friends, since almost everyone has encountered the play at some point in their education.

Low-budget Gatsby

Now, not everyone has as much money as the new-moneyed Gatsby. However, that needn’t be an obstacle to a wonderful night – just make sure that you have enough food and free-flowing champagne, and you could reel in the person whom you’ve been swooning over for years. Again, there is a film to give you additional inspiration, if you so desire. You, too, could have a magical evening among “the whisperings and the champagne and the stars”.

The Hobbit themed feast

All the foodie people in your life will have an undying affection for you if you hold a feast to rival Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday. The secret to this is volume: the more food the better. You want your tables to be groaning with all manner of delicacies, from scones to pork pies to cake. To make the theme a bit less tenuous, you could have themed games – an adaptation of ‘capture the flag’ in which you have to gain possession of the ring, for example. The possibilities are endless, with a little creativity.